In this study, to produce the new generational rabies vaccine for animal by reverse genetics, we constructed the infectious cDNA for the RC-HL strain of rabies virus used for the production of animal vaccine in Japan and rescued the recombinant RC-HL (rRC-HL) and the chimeric virus of the RC-HL and the parent Nishigahara strains. In addition, we determined immunogenicity of each rescued strain for mice. The results run as follows : 1) The full-length genome plasmid carrying comlete genomic cDNA of the RC-HL strain, and the helper plasmids which contained cDNAs of complete open reading frame of the N, P and L genes from the RC-HL strain, respectively, were constructed. After transfection of these plasmids into BHK-21 cells, infectious rabies virus which had almost the same biological properties as the wild type RC-HL strain, was rescued. Using this reverse genetics system of the RC-HL strain, we produced a chimeric virus, R (G) strain with the open reading frame of the G gene from the parent Nishigahara strain and the remainning genomic regions from the RC-HL strain.2) The growth curves of the chimeric virus, R (G) strain in neuronal NA cells and non-neuronal BHK-21 cells were similar to those of the wild and rRC-HL strains. The immunogenicity of the R (G) strain for mice was apparently superior to that of the RC-HL strain and was similar to the Nishigahara strain. From these results, it was saggested that the R (G) strain was a candidate for the production of the next generational vaccine for animal.